Ap Race Call: Democrat Derek Tran Wins Election To U.S. House In California's 45Th Congressional District, Beating Incumbent Michelle Steel

Democrat Derek Tran won election to a U.S. House seat representing California on Wednesday, defeating Republican Rep. Michelle Steel. Tran, a U.S. Army veteran and the son of Vietnamese refugees, will represent the 45th District, anchored in Orange County, which is home to a large Vietnamese American community. Steel previously flipped this seat in 2020, two years after a Democrat captured the seat in the 2018 midterms. The Associated Press declared Tran the winner at 4:03 p.m. EST.